HELP! 97 Explorer won't even turn over

[underdog1799]

This morning i went out to start my X and it wouldn't even turn over. It drove perfectly fine last night. I checked all the fuses, doesn't look like anything is bad. When i turn the key all i hear is a click and the 4X4 lights flash on for a couple of seconds and then they go off. Also the glove box light goes off and the map lights go off. The batter seems fine. Any help? Please?! It would be much appreciated!

I just barely went out and tried it again, and i had an idea to release the parking brake (don't ask me why) and when i tried starting it it started right up. So now i have a new issue. Why can't i start my car with the parking brake on?

 

[muhl5443]

have you tried to jump start it? sounds to me like you have a dead battery.

 

[mountaineerbeast]

sounds like the parking light or switch for the parking brake light might cause a short or something?

i've never even heard of something like that

 

[Tunic_21]

I had this problem to (not the parking brake part) but sometimes when I would go to start my 94 explorer I would also hear a click. then nothing not even lights, it all turned out to be the battary terminal. I cut it back put a new one on. It gave me such a better conection I actually jumped from the small spark when i reconnected it. So if you want to know if your terminal(s) are bad take them off and slowly put them back on. if you hardly see a "spark" get a new terminal connecter. As for the brake i think when it is "on". it is drawing the only power that the weak terminal(s) (if bad) can provide thus not giving enough power to the starter.

Let me know if this helps

 

[underdog1799]

Well the battery terminals are fine. I get sparks when i connect the cables to the battery. I also had lights and everything. I could turn on my radio, and my amp and it would be fine. When i tried starting it the 4X4 lights on the cluster gauge would come on for a few seconds and then turn off. I wonder could it be that there was a bad ground in the GEM circuit?

 

[Tunic_21]

that very well might be it. there is something that your 4x4 is doing that it cutting the power when you go to turn it o.

 

[underdog1799]

ok. i think i found it. I had my switch for my amp wired into my glove box light, and somehow the ground had gotten loose. I reattached the ground wire which connected everything in the circuit except for one thing because it was still engaged. the parking brake. I don't know if that makes sense. Do you think that's all it was? I think the GEM module is wired into that circuit

 

[Tunic_21]

that may very well be the problem! good job figuring it out!!

 

[underdog1799]

i finally figure it out because it has happened twice since my first post.... it wasn't all the way in park. for some reason it seems to be in park, but doesn't recognize it when i try to start it. I have to make sure to push gear shifter up as far as a can before i try and start. Any ideas how to fix this little issue?

 

[Tunic_21]

I will look into it, i have a 94 so i don't know if the dash and wheel setup is the same...thinking not.

 

[mountaineerbeast]

sounds like a column shifter problem.

Does the needle go past park when in park or before park like neutral or something?

 

[underdog1799]

The needle is kind of off, and i'm thinking it is the problem. I know that i can't really get the needle to go to 1st gear... actually its really hard to get the car to manually switch into 1st gear. Could the needle stop it from getting into park or 1st gear?

 

[rjbdam]

shifter issue

is your shift lever loose? 2 screws on the shifter shaft could be loose. if the lever is tight then it could be something else. there is a thread here somewhere showing a picture of the screws under the dash on the shift shaft. very helpful pictures.

 

[underdog1799]

rjbdam! That was it... i should have looked back at this sooner. I found a post for it
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2781368&postcount=19 and also
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219144&highlight=shifter+bolt+fell
Thanks for the awesome help guys! Now my ex works like a champ... at least starting in park